BTW Bluewater, thanks for the info on the other post about tarps. So is that your Solomid in the rock field at Lake 12,280? That's a good example of a tarp functioning above treeline. It looks like you used rocks for tie downs. Couldn't get stakes in that ground, could you?

Lake Confusion Pass is described as Class II by Secor and according to his directions the route follows a very steep granite wall. I read about a alternate route on a TR from Wandering Daisy that follows a bench on the ridge then leads to an easy use trail and switchbacks to the Goddard Canyon below.

By the time I reached the entry to Ionian Basin via Goddard Pass the storm clouds were gathering across the canyon. It was getting colder in the high elevation and the waterfalls were mostly frozen along the way. I was taking note of all the possible places to make camp in case I needed to hunker down along the way. By the time I reached Ionian Basin I could see the storm clouds starting to drop snow right behind me. Soon the snow and high winds arrived. I backtracked through the blowing snow to a small level spot just below a ledge on the shore of lake 12,280 at the base of Mt. Goddard. This lake was completely bound by boulders except for one small level spot which was just large enough for my shelter.

After getting settled in I tried to go outside to make dinner but the wind created a chill that was freezing my fingers. I only brought glove liners and a pair of Zpacks waterproof/breathable cuben rain mitts. I was wishing I had brought some down mitts.

I ended up waiting out the storm for 16 hours in my MLD cuben Solomid. I was concerned about being able to get around in the snow the next day but fortunately most of the snow had melted by the afternoon.

Looking back at the storm clouds gathering above Martha Lake:

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Frozen waterfalls, now that's cold:

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Scrambling over Goddard Pass:

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Lake 11,951, Charybdis and Scylla in the background:

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After the snowstorm at 12,280 feet:

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to be continued.

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By morning the skies were clear and the sun had transformed the area. The rest of the trip was warm and beautiful. I spent a few hours wandering through the Ionian Basin, sometimes following faint use trails and even a few cairns. I had planned on camping below Scylla the night before but the long storm meant I had to cut things short and keep moving. I passed lake 11,951, Lake 11,818 and the famous pink and purple rocks on the way to Lake 10,232 in Goddard Canyon.

Lake 11,951:

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Lake 11,818, Scylla in the backgound:

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Land bridge over Lake 11,818:

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Finger Peak from Lake 11,818:

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Alpine reflection:

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Waves of rock:

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1,600 foot drop off to Goddard Canyon just beyond waves of rock

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To be continued.

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I followed the various benches and granite slabs down from the outlet of Lake 11,818 toward Goddard Canyon and Lake 10,232 below. There were a few good areas large enough for several people to easily camp.

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One of the many benches on the way to Lake 10,232:

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Lake 10,232, the headwaters of Goddard Creek:

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The headwaters of Goddard Creek:

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Lake 10,232:

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Ancient:

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Dinner at sunset on Lake 10,232:

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Day 5:

The next morning I woke to a beautiful view of the sunrise on Finger Peak. My first goal of the day was to cross Finger Col. The cross country travel in the basin was straightforward and before long I was at the base of Finger Col. . . or at least what I hoped was Finger Col.

Early morning on Finger Peak:

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Finger Peak basin, Blue Canyon Peak:

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Finger Peak basin:

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to be continued.

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This was my first time over Finger Col so I wasn't exactly sure where it was. The actual 'finger' is on the other side so without a clear landmark I just aimed for what seemed to be the best spot.

I realized that if I couldn't find the way over I would have to backtrack two days and over two more passes to get back. It felt strange to be in such a remote area and completely reliant on information available in guide books and online at highsierratopix.com. I am always grateful for the people who generously share their experience in the High Sierra. Maybe this will help someone else considering the route.

Finger Col from the east:

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Finger Peak:

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Headwall on route to Finger Col:

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As I got closer to the mostly vertical wall I started to see a few cairns leading the way to the col. There was a steep drop-off along a very narrow cliff band but the route was Class II the whole way. The views from the top were amazing.

Class II route to Finger Col?:

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A small cairn leading the way to Finger Col:

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View east from Finger Col, all the way to the Palisades:

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View west from Finger Col, Cathedral Lake and the rest of Blackcap Basin:

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to be continued.

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View west from Finger Col (click for full size). Cathedral Lake and Midway Lake are below:

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The route down the west side of Finger Col started with a steep and loose scree field that soon leveled out slightly to a long boulder field and eventually to Cathedral Lake.

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West side approach to Finger Col:

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Route down the west side of Finger Col:

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Cathedral Lake:

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Secor recommends following the south side of the creek from Midway Lake to Portal Lake. After scrambling most of the way down I found that the south side ended at the top of a cliff. I found three places where I might have been able to make it down but after my accident a few days earlier I wasn't going to take any chances. I ended up traversing the entire boulder field, crawling between the boulders and frozen waterfalls in the creek. After an hour I finally found a large cairn along a well used route on the NORTH side. For anybody heading this way take the route on the north side of the creek!

On the way down to Portal Lake:

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to be continued.

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Secor's route cliffs out on the right/south side. I took the well worn route on the left/north side:

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Meadow below Portal Lake:

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I descended into the trees along the Blackcap Basin Trail. As the sun set in the forest I made it to a large opening where the shallow waterfalls washed along granite slabs and into emerald pools. For my last night I cowboy camped at the edge of the forest overlooking the North Fork Kings River. . .

. . . and woke to clear skies and crystal clear pools in the morning. Morning on the North Fork Kings River:

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Big Maxson Meadow:

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Original cabin in Big Maxson Meadow:

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Cable bridge:

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The trail follows the North Fork Kings River for about eight miles before it ascends toward Post Corral Meadows. The next ten miles meander through mostly mundane densely forested areas with a few beautiful meadows. On the way to Post Corral Meadows:

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To be continued.

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